Defending Corrin
by phiphiphi
Summary: Hinoka enlists Saizo to be Corrin's bodyguard... without Corrin knowing about it. First story, so let me know your opinions!
1. Chapter 1

First fic, so please be kind. Enjoy~

* * *

Hinoka was impressed Corrin had lived this long.

Nohr was famous for being... less than kind to it's inhabitants, and she was sure her sister had received no love from her abductors. Aside from the horrific conditions the princess was likely forced to live under, she was _tiny_. Even shorter than Sakura; maybe even scrawnier than her younger sister. But, Hinoka had to admit, for such a small thing, she was hard muscled. During that first battle after she'd found her sister, it'd taken all her will power not to throw herself in front of the princess at every sign of attack. Corrin was surprisingly capable, remaining unscathed despite her obvious lack of experience. Those first few months after they'd reclaimed her had been difficult, but not because of the battles. Corrin hadn't eaten much, tormented by the grief of losing her mother and abandoning her... _"adopted"_ family. She was already a pale, fragile looking thing, but during those months Hinoka had feared for her health. Despite the obvious toll on her mental state, she thrived in battle. The dragonstone served her well, and she became one of the most capable warriors Hoshido possessed.

But Hinoka still worried. They'd gone through so much to find Corrin and bring her back home. To lose her again would be unimaginably painful. The redhead had dedicated herself since childhood to reclaiming the princess, now she spent her nights sleeplessly worrying over losing her again. So she devised a scheme- something for Corrin's own good. She'd make sure no ill befell her precious sister, either on the battlefield or off of it.

Making her way through camp, Hinoka dodged most of her comrades that tried to catch her eye. She was looking for one person in particular, but this person was notorious for being hard to find. Perhaps she should loop back to the stables and ride her pegasus around until she found him...

Just as she was about to do just that, the eldest Hoshido princess spotted her target. Tall and scowling beneath the trees, Saizo stood with his arms crossed firmly across his chest, staring directly at her. Hinoka squared her shoulders, forcing herself to meet his scarred gaze. She silently reminded herself that she wasn't here to make a request, but to give an order. As much as she hated to admit it, her brother's retainer intimidated her. The ninja had hardly ever spoken to her, but his quiet manner was part of what made her uneasy. He was the total opposite of his brother, who always had a bright smile or a kind word for everyone.

"Princess," Saizo grunted as she approached, his voice slightly muffled beneath the mouth guard he always wore. Hinoka nodded in greeting, pausing nervously to adjust her gauntlets. "I have something I must ask of you," she began coolly. "Corrin is a capable warrior, but I... worry about her safety." Saizo's expression remained blank as she spoke, his narrowed eyes casted upwards towards the sakura trees as he listened. "I'm quite impressed with your abilities," she continued slowly, shifting her weight as she considered how to continue.

"You want me to watch over her," he said bluntly, lowering his eyes from the trees. Hinoka nodded in relief, pleased that he'd understood so quickly. "With my brothers missing, you don't have much else to do at the moment," she pointed out. Saizo's jaw tightened the smallest amount, but he made no comment on that. "No harm will befall your sister in battle," he murmured, bending stiffly at the waist in a half-bow. Hinoka cleared her throat, a dark blush creeping up her neck and into her face.

"I don't want you to only keep watch over her in battle. Make sure no one touches her anywhere." Saizo's carefully controlled expression fell the slightest bit. "You want me to accompany her... everywhere? How am I supposed to explain to the princess my sudden interest in her?"

Hinoka looked down guiltily, pursing her lips before she replied. "She doesn't... have to know."

A heavy silence followed. "You want me to keep watch over her without her knowing?"

She nodded. Hearing her own request aloud made her realize exactly how paranoid she was being, but she wasn't going to retract it now. She met the ninja's disbelieving look with new confidence now, certain that she was making the right decision.

"Okay," was Saizo's informal reply. He gave his superior another stiff bow, turning on his heel and disappearing skillfully into the trees behind him. He'd planned to go out and search for Lord Ryoma and Takumi again before the week was out, but now it seemed there'd be a change of plans. He couldn't ignore a direct order from the royal family. The ninja was quite irritated with his task- didn't Lady Hinoka say herself that the rescued princess was capable of defending herself? And he assumed that she was surrounded by allies both in and out of battle. What possible further protection could he offer the girl?

Still, it filled him with pride that Hinoka had sought _him_ out to make her request. He knew he was skilled, but she'd specifically chosen him even over his far more approachable brother. She'd entrusted specific protection of her sister to him, she must truly believe in his abilities. And that alone was motivation enough to ensure that he did not fail her.

So the ninja wove his way carelessly through the trees, towards the inner circle of camp where Lady Corrin spent most of her free time.

* * *

Corrin laughed jovially, wiping salt water away from her tired eyes. Sakura had taken her and Hana to a nearby spring to spend the day, considering it was hot enough outside to blister their faces. Already her sister's delicate nose was peeling skin, her cheeks as pink as her damp hair. But staying inside was far worse than any sunburn; the stone buildings were unbearably warm and humid on days like these. So the girls had spent the past several hours wading around in the clear water, telling stories and exchanging whispered secrets all while sweating profusely beneath the unforgiving sun.

"Lady Corrin," Hana chimed, swimming gracelessly over to her. Corrin felt a pang of envy at how beautiful her long, curly hair looked streamed out behind her in the water. Her own hair was just as long, but straighter than even Sakura's and twice as boring. White was such a lifeless color. She recalled with a great deal of sadness how beautiful Camilla's hair was, and how nice it had always smelled.

"Just 'Corrin,'" she reminded Hana, forcing herself from her memories. Her sister's retainer smiled hugely, waiting until Sakura had joined them until she spoke again. "Corrin, I was wondering. Anyone in camp caught your fancy?" Hana wiggled her eyebrows playfully, shh-ing Sakura impatiently when the younger princess began giggling. Immediately Corrin felt her face heat up and she turned away, biting her lip as she deliberated her answer.

"Well..." she teased, smirking lightly as both girls leaned forward to hear her reply. "I think Kaze is handsome," she admitted quickly, lowering herself further into the water until she was up to her chin. Hana's face fell slightly and she sighed, shaking her head in mock disappointment. " _Everyone_ thinks he's handsome, Lad- Corrin. I thought you'd be more original than that." Corrin laughed at that, turning to face her sister as Sakura gripped her arm. "He's so kind as well," she said sweetly, her eyes bright with excitement. "I think you should tell him you like him. You're so beautiful, Corrin. He wouldn't say no to you."

Corrin flushed with pleasure at her sister's compliment. It was one thing to think the green-haired ninja was cute, but another thing entirely to tell him she thought so. Corrin wasn't sure she wanted him to know that. It'd be hard to pursue Kaze while nearly every other woman was after him as well. Not that she'd given it much thought. These past few months had been spent mostly getting to know her new family and having experiences she could never have in Nohr.

Just as she was opening her mouth to tell her sister as much, someone cleared their throat by the mouth of the pool. Sakura shrieked and rushed to duck behind Hana, who turned to Corrin with a look of horror on her face.

It was Kaze and Saizo who'd joined them, both standing by the edge of the water with their eyes squinted against the sun. The girls had peeled off their clothes and swam in just their smallclothes, and Kaze had gathered all their clothing from the grass and held them neatly in his arms. Saizo held three plush towels, his face carefully adverted from the half-naked girls in front of him. From the look on his face, Corrin didn't guess Kaze had heard anything they'd been saying.

He only smiled down on them pleasantly as if nothing was amiss. "Princesses, Hana, it's nearly time for dinner. Lady Hinoka was getting worried."

Raising her chin cockily at Hana, Corrin swam to the edge of the water and pulled herself out gracefully. Sakura and her retainer stared at her in disbelief as she stood there dripping in just her smallclothes, and now Kaze turned a delicate shade of red and turned his eyes swiftly from her.

"Thank you," she said to Saizo as he handed her a towel. He met her gaze just long enough to give her a nod before returning to staring upwards at the lazy clouds. Corrin wrapped herself in the towel, stifling a laugh at everyone's expressions. Modesty was not her strongest suit; there wasn't a lot of it in Nohr. Camilla had always taught her to be proud of her body. It must've been easy for her, with how beautiful and well-shaped she was. While Corrin wasn't ashamed of how she looked, she certainly was not as proud as Camilla.

Saizo, beneath his mask that hid the lower half of his face, was blushing furiously. He'd imagined the little princess from Nohr to be as docile and timid as Sakura, certainly not the daring thing she'd just proven herself to be. He watched as she beckoned her sister and friend to join her out of the water, laughing gleefully as they refused. Maybe this job would prove to be more interesting than he thought.

* * *

Let me know what ya think. Chapter 2 should be up soon. ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

Saizo learned a lot about the little princess in the weeks that followed.

She was needlessly bold, and almost seemed to enjoy making others uncomfortable to an extent. He sensed this was Nohrian humor- and, in all honesty, he did see the appeal of making her uptight noble friends squirm in their seats. But Corrin was also tenderhearted beyond belief, and devoted most of her time to helping the army in some way or another. She worked almost as tirelessly as Lord Ryoma, and Saizo respected her for that.

Aside from their bold natures and selfless work for Hoshido, Corrin and Ryoma weren't very similar. The princess didn't look much like any of her siblings either, though she and Sakura were about the same size. If anyone she looked like Takumi, and his harsh facial expressions were nothing like Corrin's innocent doe-eyed look. Of course, she wasn't blood related to any of the Hoshido royal family anymore. He spent a lot of lot pondering over how she must feel- she'd left the only family she'd ever known for one that she wasn't even related to by blood. If she grieved for them, Saizo never saw it. She always had a pointy- toothed grin on her face, her crimson eyes all alight.

It'd been fairly easy to trail her without her ever noticing. She was plenty absentminded and easily distracted; always doing something with others unless she was in her cabin to sleep. He'd noticed that she never spent her time indoors if she could help it, and if she wound up in a room alone she'd always go out to find someone to talk with. He attributed this to the isolation she was rumored to have been kept in her whole life. How could such a happy and beloved little girl be so socially capable if she'd been alone since she was a child?

She fascinated him, and that was worrisome. He'd expected this job to be boring, a chore. Not that following her around was exactly what he _wanted_ to be doing with his time, but it was proving to be more interesting than he'd expected. He'd even spent some time directly with her, though they rarely spoke with each other during it. Kaze was usually with them, and as always, he did most of the talking.

Saizo had also expected Hinoka to release him from this duty after a few weeks, but the redhead stubbornly insisted he "keep up the good work." It was irritating, knowing Lord Ryoma was out there somewhere, possibly needing his help, while he was stuck here playing babysitter.

At least the weather had cooled down. Saizo lounged lazily outside Corrin's cabin, appreciating the pale moonlight across the grounds. The princess had gone inside hours ago, and he really didn't expect an assassination attempt on her. But there were beautiful and fragrant trees right outside her room, and he was fond of camping up in them while he watched visitors come and go from Corrin's quarters. He had nearly dozed off when her door unexpectedly opened, and the flaxen-haired dragoness herself emerged from the tree house.

Saizo was alert in a flash, sitting up stiffly as the tree branch shook beneath his weight. Corrin looked about briefly, a cloak drawn about her face as she made her way towards the woods on the outskirts of camp. The ninja followed behind her like a hunter after its prey. She looked over her shoulder worriedly every few seconds until he was almost sure that she knew someone was following her. But he was also certain there was no way she had seen him. In all his years of work, no one had ever seen him.

It was easier when they made it into the woods, where he could just skip about the treetops and watch her down below. She didn't go very far in, stopping after a few minutes of walking until she settled down onto her knees in a field of wildflowers. Her white hair glinted strangely in the moonlight as she began collecting the flowers, gathering them neatly into little bundles and tucking them away somewhere inside her robes.

Saizo watched in disbelief from up above. Is this what girls did with their free time? Picking flowers at midnight? Every so often she'd look up again with that same anxious look on her face before going back to her task.

She'd only been gathering for five minutes or so when a voice called out somewhere down the path in the forest. It startled her so bad that she let out a little yelp, dropping all the flowers she'd been tucking together. Saizo bit his lip, waiting for her to get up and leave. The voice was a fair distance off, if she left now she could be back to her cabin before they were ever upon her. Instead, the princess stood up, pulling her dragonstone carefully from her pocket. Saizo watched in shock, suppressing a groan.

Perhaps Hinoka was right. This girl _did_ need extra protection if she thought it was a wise idea to take on an unknown enemy in the forest alone at night. The voice was growing steadily closer, distorted eerily by the wind and trees. It was becoming more apparent that this wasn't just a single voice, but rather voic _es_.

Saizo briefly considered his options, before dropping down below and grabbing Lady Corrin from behind.

She gasped as he folded his arms tenderly about her waist and over her mouth, pulling her back silently into the trees. "Shhh," he warned, pressing his lips against her pointed ear. "Don't struggle." Corrin immediately went limp and nodded against his palm, her whole body sagging into his in relief. He held her well out of sight behind the trees as the voices finally emerged into the clearing she'd been sitting in just moments before.

It was Setsuna... and Azama? The monk appeared to be quite irritated, while the archer trailed after him dreamily, rubbing her wrists.

"This is the last time I save you from a trap, lady. You gotta stop going out into the forest by yourself!"

"But why should I stop when you'll come get me?"

Azama let out an exasperated sigh, pulling Setsuna after him in an angry flurry of verbal abuse. Saizo stood there for a long moment after they'd left the forest, Corrin pressed against his chest with his hand still held tightly over her mouth. He realized this and released her at once, turning to face her with a deep scowl on his face.

To her credit, she didn't immediately assault him with questions. She meet his gaze with a blank expression, tilting her head to the side before she spoke. "You followed me in?" She asked quietly, almost timidly. He nodded, crossing his arms and offering no further explanation. She wrinkled her nose, crossing her own arms in reply. "I'm not a child. You've seen me fight, you know I can handle myself."

Curiosity overcame him. "How old _are_ you?" Corrin blinked, surprised by his question. "... Seventeen," she said reluctantly, narrowing her eyes when he scoffed. Her seventeen years to his twenty-five was practically a child.

"It's very kind that you want to look after me, but it's really not necessary." He ignored that, gesturing to the field of flowers behind them.

"And why are you out here alone at night? Do you think it wise to put your life needlessly at risk?" Corrin scowled, shaking her head violently. "It's Kagero's birthday tomorrow, and she once mentioned liking these flowers. I had forgotten to get them yesterday, and I wanted to give them to her at breakfast..."

Saizo felt his face soften at that. Of course, it was just like her to do something like this. Corrin took a step towards him, standing on her tip-toes to better look up at him. Even on her toes, she was almost a foot shorter than he was. "What can I do to convince you that I'm capable?"

He considered simply telling her the truth. Hinoka would probably not be too pleased if he were to do that, and wasn't sure he wanted to admit he'd been following her for weeks. "Let me train you," was his brilliant reply.

Corrin raised a white brow, rocking back and forth on her heels as she considered that. "Like... on how to be a ninja?" She asked slowly, eyeing the shuriken in his belt wearily. He shrugged, smiling minusculely at her reaction. "You're weak to ranged attacks and your speed could use some work. I could improve you." The princess looked up at him for a long moment, before finally lowering her head in a stiff nod.

"And if I do improve, you'll believe I'm a worthy asset to this army and won't try to protect me anymore?"

Saizo nodded, lying through his teeth. "Absolutely."

* * *

Corrin found her new training sessions to be both mildly exciting and absolutely loathsome. There wasn't a set time they spent training or amount of lessons Saizo gave her, but every time was torture on her body. He made her run miles, pick up things almost twice her size, spend hours jumping between poles he stuck in the ground, and then there was the _dodging_. He'd throw shuriken at her, he'd throw punches and kicks and even rock at times while she helplessly skipped about like a marionette on a flimsy string.

But she noticed changes immediately. Her muscles hardened, especially in her arms, and her face became less rounded and childlike. Battle was nearly too easy at this point. She took out her opponents like a god of death, and sometimes she'd turn to see Saizo watch her conquest with a smug look of pleasure on his face. He was a patient and gifted teacher, if deranged in his methods. And who was she to complained while she was thriving under his instruction?

Camp had been growing cooler and cooler, so they spent most of their time training in her spacious cabin now. Corrin sat expectantly on her bed, braiding her long hair as she awaited the ninja's arrival. He entered shortly afterwards, closing the door and crossing over to her without so much as a floorboard squeak to announce himself. She was constantly amazed at how very quiet he was, but no amount of pestering seemed to convince him to reveal the secret of stealth.

"Princess," he grunted, crossing his arms tightly across his chest as was his habit. Corrin kept her nose upturned, resisting the temptation to look at the opening of his shirt where his defined chest was on constant display. The only men she'd ever been around in Nohr were her family and Jakob, and she could hardly gawk at them. To her embarrassment, she found herself attracted to the red-headed ninja. He was so _tall_ , and menacing, and even his voice, all grunty and deep, made her heart go aflutter at times.

He even looked a great deal like Kaze. They both had the same chiseled bone structure, though Saizo's mask covered most of his jaw. Corrin often wondered if he was as horribly scarred across his lips as he was over his eye, and that was the reason behind the mask.

"Not, 'Princess.' _Corrin_ ," she corrected grumpily, knowing that her efforts were futile. Even after several weeks of training, he still insisted on calling her 'Princess' or 'Lady Corrin.'

"We're going to work on your flexibility today," he informed her, raising a red eyebrow pointedly until she stood from her bed with a sigh.

To her extreme shock, he grabbed her informally by her shoulders, walking her backwards until her back hit the cabin wall. She caught her breath, staring up at the ninja while he looked back down expressionlessly. The first and last time he had touched her had been that night in the field of flowers, and she often found herself fantasizing about the ninja pulling her close to him by the waist as he had that night.

But he just grabbed her about the calf, raising it in slow increments in front of her until she was whimpering in pain. "This is as far as you can go?" He demanded, disapproval thick in his tone. Corrin huffed indigently, wincing when the movement sent another spasm of pain up her leg.

"My toes are practically touching the wall," she complained, her face a brilliant pink color at the way his hands were gripping her leg as he held it in midair. He grunted in reply, slowly lowering her leg down and repeating the action with the second.

"Saizo, I... wanted to ask you something," she said timidly, avoiding his sharp eyes. She reached up and touched the cool metal of his mask. "Why do you wear this all the time? It must be uncomfortable."

"It helps stifle my breathing. Good for stealth."

She nodded thoughtfully as he pressed her left leg higher, until her knee was pressed directly against her rib cage. "Why doesn't Kaze wear one?"

He paused, narrowing his eyes before answering. "You've already asked your question, now I will ask one. That night we agreed to begin training in the forest, you looked almost... afraid. Did you suspect someone was following you?"

Corrin blinked in surprised, following Saizo's lead as he released her from the painful stretching and sat cross-legged on her floor. "No. Why would I think anyone was following me?" She bit her lip, debating on whether or not to lie. "I'm afraid of the dark," she finally admitted, watching his reaction from beneath her eyelashes. "Back in Nohr, I'm sure you've been told I spent most of my time isolated from the world. But I had my maids and butler, and they were my company. And of course my siblings came to see me... but, at night, I was always alone. And Nohr is a dim place even during the day, so the nights were absolutely pitch black. I don't think I ever got over the fear of when my maid would tuck me in and leave me alone in the dark for the night..."

Her voice cracked and she trailed off, avoiding the ninja's gaze shamefully.

He must think her weak for having such a childish fear.

"And you ventured out into the woods alone at night to gather the flowers anyway," he said slowly, shaking his head. She tilted her head, surprised at his reply.

"You have a heart of gold, Lady Corrin."

She smiled widely at the compliment. He didn't offer her a smile in return, but she was used to his grim expressions at this point.

"Your flexibility, however, needs some work." She stuck her tongue out at him, following him sullenly as he led her into the next exercise. Corrin was an honest person, and being honest with herself was just as important as being honest with others.

And the truth was that she was wildly attracted to this strange and quiet man, and had no idea what to do about it.

* * *

And that's the second chapter~ I'm thinking there may be four or five in total. Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

Life was going well in Hosidio.

Of course, Ryoma and Takumi were still missing. Most nights Corrin lie awake, wrenching her guts over what could have possibly have happened to them. And, if she were being entirely honest, she felt incredibly guilty for not feeling a great sense of personal loss at their disappearance. Hinoka and Sakura walked around with perpetual sadness hanging over them, as if their brothers had taken with them their ability to smile. But Corrin... she had barely spent any time with either of them before they'd gone. She felt fierce guilt day in and out at the air of heaviness she had to carry with her like a lie to the whole camp.

In truth, a great deal of her happiness came from spending time with Saizo.

Their training sessions had evolved, turning into swimming lessons when he'd discovered she couldn't swim. Then she'd mentioned that she wasn't the best at climbing trees, and he felt the need to educate her on the finer skills of scaling plant life. She wasn't entirely sure why she craved his company so much. He wasn't exactly pleasant to be around; not in the same way Sakura or any other member of their army could be. He had a bland sense of humor, and getting a smile out of him was like pulling teeth. Not that she'd be able to see it even if he did smile, what with that damned mask.

But he was interesting, and more intelligent than most. Neither of them had any desire in discussing the past, so mainly they spoke of their comrades or the day's events. He was alluring and mysterious, but she was becoming more and more adept at picking out the true meaning behind his vague words.

She often wondered what he was getting out of the time they spent together.

* * *

Saizo sat in the armory, sharpening his shuriken. Tomorrow they were to cross a mountain path that was sure to be filled with Nohrian soldiers, and it would not do to go into battle with dull weapons. The ninja was so involved in his task that he didn't bother to look up as another soldier joined him in the armory, walking past him to access the spears.

A flash of red glinted past his good eye and he reluctantly looked up, staring up at Princess Hinoka's wan face. She turned her spear over in her palms skillfully, moving to stick it into the dirt floor of armory so she could lean her weight against it. Saizo returned to sharpening his weapons, seeing no need to prompt her to speak. Whatever she had to say, she'd say it.

"I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time with Corrin," she said, carefully controlling her tone to sound as casual as possible. But Sazio heard the suppressed disapproval just behind her words.

"Yes. I'm sure you've noticed her improvement in battle. And, not to worry. I still watch over her even when we're not training."

Hinoka pursed her lips at that, running a hand through her choppy red hair before replying. "I have noticed. But I've changed my mind, I think Corrin will be just fine on her own now. No extra protection is needed."

Saizo paused, staring up at the princess in disbelief. There was something more going on here than Hinoka deciding Corrin was no longer in any danger.

It almost felt like she was accusing him of something, and that didn't sit very well with him. He returned his shuriken to its loop, standing to face her with his arms crossed over his chest tightly.

"Why the sudden change of heart? You were so adamant I take on this job, even if it meant putting off searching for your brothers."

Hinoka shifted uneasily, pulling her spear out of the dirt and tossing it from hand to hand as she spoke. "Corrin was taken from us when I was very young, and I swore I'd get her back." Saizo nodded; anyone who'd spent more than five minutes with Hinoka knew this. The princess squared her shoulders and stopped her spear tossing, her expression deadly as she hissed out her next words. "And I also swore, when we _did_ get her back, that I'd never let anything- or one- hurt her again."

Saizo jolted back in shock, almost as if she'd struck him. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying and failing to come up with a response.

"And why do you think I'd hurt her?!" He finally demanded, the question little more than a furious grunt through his mask.

"Why do you spend so much time with her?" Hinoka shot back, leaning forward to spit the words in his face. "I only asked you to follow her, make she kept saf-"

A startled gasp silenced both of the redheads. Corrin stood behind the half-opened door of the armory, her palm thrown over her mouth as she stared at them. In the midst of their heated argument, they must have not heard her as she joined them. Saizo had just enough time to see her wide red eyes brim over with tears before she turned on her heel and practically ran from the room in a flurry of pale hair, not even bothering to close the door behind her.

He immediately stood to go after her, but Hinoka placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. " _I'll_ go," she warned, tucking her spear against her side and leaving through the door of the armory before he had a chance to argue.

* * *

The next day was torture. He and Corrin were on opposites sides of the camp and entirely different classes, meaning Saizo had no chance to see her as everyone chaotically prepared for battle. Kaze kept up a cheerful chatter as they donned their armor, which he truly appreciated. It was a distraction from the horrible guilt he felt in the pit of his stomach. What would he even say to Lady Corrin when he finally saw her? 'I'm sorry,' didn't seem fitting or sincere enough for the remorse he felt for hurting her.

Another thing that troubled him; _why_ had learning the truth made her so upset? It was one thing for him to find her interesting, and beautiful, and kind, and to enjoy their time together more than he probably should. But he'd never dreamed that she viewed him as anything more than perhaps an overprotective servant of her brother's.

He spent the entire march to the mountain path thinking up ways to repair the damage he'd done.

Thankfully, battle was another welcome distraction from his thoughts. He and Kaze skimmed the edges of the battlefield, taking out stray stoneborns and occasionally helping a wounded ally make their way to a healer.

The battle was nearly won when he finally saw her. Corrin was on a horse, directing those around her with ease. It was hard to tell, because her eyes were already red, but it looked as if she'd been crying. Saizo watched as she donned her sword, taking out enemies with a fierce scowl on her face.

He was too far away to do anything when the berserkers surrounded her.

Still, he began running just as the three broad men threw her from her horse, pulling her by her long hair until she was on her feet in front of them with her sword clutched desperately in both hands.

He was nearly halfway to her when one of them disarmed her, his ax pulling away red when it struck her fingers. She screamed shrilly, which seemed to agitate her attackers. One of them stepped forward, his dagger flashing briefly across her face as she crumpled to the ground.

It took Saizo less than ten seconds to kill all three of them.

When they were nothing more than corpses, he dropped to his knees beside the princess. She was shivering, despite the sweat that was pooled on her forehead, and blood was smeared gruesomely across the entire left side of her face. His hands hovered uncertainly above her, trying to find some way to help. Her eyes, though covered in blood, found his, and she managed the smallest smile through her pain.

"Help is here, Princess," he whispered, stepping aside as Kaze all but threw Azama at her. The monk set abut his work at once, and for a while there was nothing but Corrin's cries of pain and several very ungodly curses from Azama as he pressed the healing staff directly against her cheek.

After what seemed a lifetime, Azama stepped back, his expression quite grim as he met Saizo's desperate eyes. "She'll be okay," the monk informed him quietly, though the reassurance sounded like a lie. Saizo knelt down beside Corrin in the tall grass again, holding his breath as he looked her over.

She was curled into a tiny ball, but he could see blood soaked through her sleeves and matted all into her hair. Azama had bandaged her face and hand, and he was truly afraid of the injuries that lied beneath. She panted for air, each breath pitiful as she tried to inhale without pain.

"Princess, I am so sorry," he choked out, moving to rest his forehead lightly against hers. She nodded dreamily, her uninjured hand moving up sluggishly to pat his cheek. "That's okay," she replied, her voice heavy with sleep.

Saizo looked up at Azama in alarm, but the monk waved off his concern. "It's normal. I used enough of my staff on her to knock out a horse for a month!"

When he looked back down, Corrin had passed out, her face twisted in pain even in sleep. He gathered her carefully in his arms, surprised by how incredibly light she was even in full battle armor. Kaze had retrieved her horse, and Saizo handed Corrin to his twin gratefully while he climbed up on the saddle. "I'll take her back to camp," he muttered, accepting Kaze's aid as they tried to position her as best they could on the horse in front of him. "And somebody's got to tell Lady Hinoka."


End file.
